


Books and Artefacts

by flutterby_cupcake_26



Series: Malec 30 day OTP challenge [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Magnus' apartment, Malec is the cutest, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 08:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10460514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flutterby_cupcake_26/pseuds/flutterby_cupcake_26
Summary: Magnus is a private warlock. Alec is an introverted shadowhunter. Both find other ways of getting to know their boyfriend.





	

One of the benefits of dating a centuries-old Warlock was the access to incredible magic that Magnus had. Not that Alec was the kind of person to take advantage of someone else, and not that he was fascinated by the power of magic either. Magnus’ knowledge and possessions came to the rescue more than Alec would have thought he needed. Be it a strengthening draught after battle, or looking up spells to heal any one of the New York Institute’s Shadowhunters after coming up against demons. Even when Magnus changed the decor on a whim - at least twice a week - the books and potions and other trinkets remained.

If Alec couldn’t sleep, sometimes he would sit up in the living room, or out on the fire escape, and read from one of Magnus’ books. The most potent books were always out of sight, and Alec had a sneaking suspicion that Magnus knew he would read instead of sleep as there was always a cycle of magical theory books - and the occasional fictional title - left out on the coffee table, or bookshelf, or side table … all of them seemingly carelessly tossed there, all of them interesting to Alec. Magnus was a private person, and Alec liked being able to see this side of his boyfriend, it felt like there was some trust there. And then Alec could begin to build on the rest.

There was something calming about sitting quietly above the bustle of Brooklyn, leafing through ancient texts, with their handwritten notes and detailed annotations. Alec felt like it made him a better Shadowhunter, learning this extra material, as well as a better boyfriend when it came to understanding Magnus.

There was one morning, where he had been leafing through a less-than-enthralling tome on magical plant properties since around three in the morning, that he smelled coffee brewing in Magnus’ cappuccino machine. He closed the book and headed back into the apartment from the fire escape. Magnus wasn’t by the machine, as he had expected, but was holding Alec’s bow with his elegant fingers, examining it with his golden cat eyes close to the string. Alec leaned against the doorway and folded his arms, tucking the book in the crook of his elbow and just watching Magnus. The warlock didn’t look up from the bow, and Alec rested his head against the doorframe, watching quietly.

“I hope you didn’t try and hide your presence in the doorway with runes.” Magnus mused, and turned the bow over.

“Why would I do that? How’s the bow?”

“Exquisitely crafted. I’ve always wanted to look at it, feel the weight of it. It always seems like an extension of you.”

Alec did prefer to fight with bow and arrow, it was true. He could load and aim an arrow in the blink of an eye. He rarely missed.

“Besides,” Magnus put the bow down gently and turned around, even that small gesture being made with his usual flair, looking almost like a pirouette. “You’re learning about being a warlock.”

Alec looked down at the book in his arms, and then smiled sheepishly at Magnus.

“Well, you do have an unfair advantage, knowing so many Shadowhunters in the last five hundred years.”

“I’m only a hundred and seventy five.” Magnus said breezily. Alec smiled coyly.

“So, in the scheme of things, you’re as young a warlock as I am a Shadowhunter?”

Magnus returned the smirk, making it seem suggestive. Alec had caught him out and he knew it.

“I could show you where I have some experience?”

Alec shook his head, fondly exasperated.

“You’re a hopeless flirt.”

“I’d say more shameless. Hopeless implies you don’t reciprocate.”

Magnus approached him, and removed the book from his arms. Alec allowed it, and stroked a hand down Magnus’ face tenderly as his warlock boyfriend reached up to kiss him. Beyond books and equipment and talking, this was how Alec and Magnus learned the most about each other, through the way they came together and felt like two halves of one whole.


End file.
